I thought that Dear Mr. Henshaw was a very cleverly written novel. I am almost certain I read this novel as a child and was very fond of it then. Now, as an adult, I can completely understand why I was so drawn to this book. Mrs. Cleary has this remarkable ability of creating these wonderfully complex and authentic characters in a very simplistic manner (and in less than 150 pages!). The focus of this story concerned Leigh's character arc as he copes with his parent's divorce but it also gave us a glimpse of the internal conflicts his own parents were dealing with after their relationship became fractured. So skillful was Cleary in forging characters that were so relatable and candid, that while I could feel Leigh's disappointment and frustration with his father, I also could simultaneously empathize with the latter.
Naturally, reading this reminded me of my own parent’s divorce. Like Leigh, I wrote in my journal, hoping to achieve spiritual growth and consequently, be able to reconcile the situation and accept that they were no longer together. This became much more difficult when my dad remarried and started a new family. It was so easy for me to identify with Leigh when he talked about hearing the other boy—I felt like it was me on the phone with my dad hearing my little sister’s soft voice echo in the background and living the life I never got to with the dad that wasn’t mine anymore. Later in the book, when his father phones to tell him he received his thank-you letter, Leigh wants to ask him if he found another dog to take Bandit’s place while internally acknowledging that the question had more to do with replacing Leigh with another boy. I could feel Leigh’s bitterness rise up and become more difficult to contain. I felt the tension of being a child in a very much adult-centered world where you are directly affected by situations you have no control over. I felt angry with him; I felt heart-broken with him. I remember being 12 years old and watching those feelings of abandonment mess with my identity and self-worth. But I also watched triumphantly as they were purged from my body and manifested themselves as words on a paper.
As for whether or not this is a story that a child could identify with, I recently read in telegraph.co.ukthat a ‘dad’ is the tenth most popular Christmas gift wish that children had last year. If that is indeed true, then that should be reason enough to believe that this emotionally compelling book would serve as a welcome diversion for many young people and perhaps, even a cathartic experience for those that are especially struggling with circumstances that they are powerless to change—a book where they may find solace from that world where they feel ineffectual.
Reader-response: Dear Mr. Henshaw
I thought that Dear Mr. Henshaw was a very cleverly written novel. I am almost certain I read this novel as a child and was very fond of it then. Now, as an adult, I can completely understand why I was so drawn to this book. Mrs. Cleary has this remarkable ability of creating these wonderfully complex and authentic characters in a very simplistic manner (and in less than 150 pages!). The focus of this story concerned Leigh's character arc as he copes with his parent's divorce but it also gave us a glimpse of the internal conflicts his own parents were dealing with after their relationship became fractured. So skillful was Cleary in forging characters that were so relatable and candid, that while I could feel Leigh's disappointment and frustration with his father, I also could simultaneously empathize with the latter.
Naturally, reading this reminded me of my own parent’s divorce. Like Leigh, I wrote in my journal, hoping to achieve spiritual growth and consequently, be able to reconcile the situation and accept that they were no longer together. This became much more difficult when my dad remarried and started a new family. It was so easy for me to identify with Leigh when he talked about hearing the other boy—I felt like it was me on the phone with my dad hearing my little sister’s soft voice echo in the background and living the life I never got to with the dad that wasn’t mine anymore. Later in the book, when his father phones to tell him he received his thank-you letter, Leigh wants to ask him if he found another dog to take Bandit’s place while internally acknowledging that the question had more to do with replacing Leigh with another boy. I could feel Leigh’s bitterness rise up and become more difficult to contain. I felt the tension of being a child in a very much adult-centered world where you are directly affected by situations you have no control over. I felt angry with him; I felt heart-broken with him. I remember being 12 years old and watching those feelings of abandonment mess with my identity and self-worth. But I also watched triumphantly as they were purged from my body and manifested themselves as words on a paper.
As for whether or not this is a story that a child could identify with, I recently read in telegraph.co.ukthat a ‘dad’ is the tenth most popular Christmas gift wish that children had last year. If that is indeed true, then that should be reason enough to believe that this emotionally compelling book would serve as a welcome diversion for many young people and perhaps, even a cathartic experience for those that are especially struggling with circumstances that they are powerless to change—a book where they may find solace from that world where they feel ineffectual.